Harley-Davidson Ad...but what if we don't grow up...

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Cool commercial but I'd still rather have a Honda. For the money you get a better ride, less maintenance, and for the price of a base package Sportster I could get a fully tricked out Shadow.

Sportster MSRP is between $8,000 and $11,800 depending on what model you get.
Shadow Phantom is $8,240 and IMHO it looks WAY better than a Sportster.
 
I like Harleys ok, but I don't care for Sportsters. This Honda plus aftermarket accessories cost about 1/3 of any new Harley that I liked as much, with good mileage, and lower maintenance and insurance cost as well.

bike3066.jpg
 
Nice bike, I only said Sportster because that is the only thing Harley has in the same price range. I've owned a few Hondas. A Magna, a Sabre, and a Goldwing. Still have to say I miss my '57 Panhead though. Even if it did beat you to death to ride it more than a few miles. :roll:
 
Working with the things though, the newer they get the more technology they are adding to them.
ABS brakes, electric throttle, all fuel injected...the list goes on.

But in the end their technology really isn't all that great.
I'm sticking with the pedal bikes, motor only fails if my legs fail...
 
All this Harley Hate, I'm not sure I can come here anymore now :( Feel like I had the wind knocked out of me, and it runs on rice. I almost expect rat rod bike hate now.

:(

:(

:(

The world has gone mad.
 
jamaces said:
I'm sticking with the pedal bikes, motor only fails if my legs fail...
Click to expand...

naw...heart failure will do it to ya, too... :shock:

re: Harley hatred...
I used to ride motorcycles; prolly gonna get another in winter, when they're on sale. My bikes in the past were Hondas, mostly b/c i wanted cheap and reliable transportation. I'm looking to buy my first new motorbike this year, and I'm still trying to decide. I really oughta wait; my head's all over the place.

I'd like to get a H-D, but the problems i have are as follows:
-most of the parts are NOT sourced in the USA anymore, which is a problem b/c they still try to use the whole USA thing in their marketing
-they discontinued the plain-ol' sportster. not the xl883L or xl883n or xl883abcpdq. Just the regular, higher seat, no frills, $6grand sportie. It's what I've always wanted. The iron 883 could be alright, but i'd have to spend too much money to reverse all the cutesy, fake "bad@$$" aspects and get some decent, fat-friendly suspension.
-they NEVER, EVER---even in the DEAD of WINTER-- drop price on H-Ds around here. In january, an $8000 honda is $5750. The $8000 sportster is still $8grand in January, with maybe some sort of slightly-better-rate gimmick.

So, as it stands now, I'll probably look at the base model Bonnie, or possible the fake-sportster shadow... Y'know, the one with the little tank on it. Shadow RS:
1-honda-shadow-rs-750.jpg
These are discounted now, for last year's models...and it ain't even January!!!

Then again, I might want a dual-sport. hmmmmm
-rob
 
Buck Masterson said:
All this Harley Hate, I'm not sure I can come here anymore now :( Feel like I had the wind knocked out of me, and it runs on rice. I almost expect rat rod bike hate now.

:(

:(

:(

The world has gone mad.
Click to expand...

I don't hate Harleys I just see that for the same money a better bike can be had. Harleys are great bikes but maintenance costs more, parts cost more, the bike itself costs more, the insurance costs more, and to me it doesn't matter what you ride as long as you enjoy the ride. :mrgreen:
 
I really hate those American made Schwinn's. The Chinese ones are much better bike all around. About the same logic. Harley > Jap bikes. I'd rather have a broke down Harley made in America then a Jap bike. It's not just a motorcycle, it's a religion.
 
Peatbog said:
I have a 1985 Roadster (Sportster with bigger tank, straighter handlebars, fancier fenders). I bought it way back then because I liked how it looked. Haven't ridden it for years though. Kinda lost interest. I also have a 1980 Suzuki 850. It did everything better than the Harley and is a much better all around bike. I don't really care what bike brand a motorcycle is. They are just a vehicle to get me from one place to the other. When more time is available, I'll probably get them out again someday. Just don't have a lot of interest in motorcycles at this time.

If I ever get another motorcycle, it will probably be a single cylinder 500-600 or so. Light weight, neat torque, fun on curvy roads. I am tired of big heavy lumbering motorcycles.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, one of my favorite bikes I have owned was a 2001 Buell Blast 500cc. I'm kinda short so it fit better, was light, nimble, and pretty fast.
 
Buck Masterson said:
I really hate those American made Schwinn's. The Chinese ones are much better bike all around. About the same logic. Harley > Jap bikes. I'd rather have a broke down Harley made in America then a Jap bike. It's not just a motorcycle, it's a religion.
Click to expand...
If they were the same price no contest, I'd buy the Harley but Honda does make a great bike too. And unless you get a used older Harley you're getting a Japanese bike either way. I just don't think the name justifies the price difference as far as new ones go. Now if you're talking vintage Harleys then I'm with you 100%.
 
don't hate Harleys I just see that for the same money a better bike can be had. Harleys are great bikes but maintenance costs more, parts cost more, the bike itself costs more, the insurance costs more, and to me it doesn't matter what you ride as long as you enjoy the ride


reasale is also 100% better .. :mrgreen:
 
Like I said, I like Harleys, but mostly the old BT ankle busters. Even If I had one, I'd still want my Honda for drive to work cold/unnattended in a dusty gravel lot around distracted cager and amateur Bobcat user/dusty bird pooped commuter/corner store purposes. Years ago I figured I'd always be riding oily buzzing old Brit-bikes, but I got busier, older, and lazier, and even a rusty old Duo Glide is more dependable on American highways than those old heaps.
 
Just to clear up some confusion:
So long as we're talkin' about new bikes, ain't none of 'em made in the US. Harleys have very little US-made content anymore. They're pieced together from components that come from the Far East and Mexico.

Cheap Hondas come from Thailand, China, and other non-Japanese Asian nations. Expensive Hondas come from Japan. Goldwings and some other big Hondas come from Ohio. :shock:

That Royal Enfield? That's an Indian bike. They improved em a bit a few years back, which is good b/c the old ones were broken from day one. (Kinda like a Walmart bicycle... take it home from the store, fix it, then ride it. Fix again as-needed. ) The new/improved Royal Enfields are way too pricey, IMHO, to compete with Bonnies and other things that arejust more reliable/resaleable.

The Bonnies and other modern Triumphs were (until recently) made in Hinckley, UK. Nowadays, a lot of them are Thai or assembled in England out of parts shipped in from Thailand.

Yeah, it's sad that this stuff is made by wage-slaves across the planet who don't ride just to be bought and ridden by guys like us who do ride, and who might enjoy building motorcycles in a plant somewhere...but that's just not how it is. I could get over that, but the fact that these things have been getting MORE expensive while the labor costs are going DOWN (due to where they're manufactured) really gets me angry. Yeah, I know it costs a lot to ship things from way "over there"...but who told them to make these bikes way "over there"?

Sorry for the rant. I'd buy a H-D over anything else if they were made in Milwaukee. But they ain't, and it frustrates me.

-rob
 
I have been kinda looking at those Ural motorcycles with the sidecars. About the same price as a sportster and you get a sidecar with it.
 
i have owned one of every thing but italian for me its about wind in my face.. leaning her over into a turn
and pulling hard out... dont really care what kind of a bike it is... each maker has it good points..
all time fav would go down as 84 gpz kawasaki... close followed my an 81 GSL1100SE then a FLHX
but I will lean into anything with 2 wheels..
 
outskirtscustoms said:
I have been kinda looking at those Ural motorcycles with the sidecars. About the same price as a sportster and you get a sidecar with it.
Click to expand...
I think they look better than Harleys, but that's just my opinion. :p
And sidecars are really cool!
Check out these creepy cartoons I found on their site... http://www.imz-ural.com/downloads/cartoons.aspx
I think what scares me the most is how they grunt and moan instead of talking to each other. And how the other one understands what they are saying. :shock:
 

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